Is This Such a Good Idea? Naruto A Next Generation
by CosplayAnonymae
Summary: 20 years later, what is the Hokage thinking, sending a group of kids to retrieve a time traveling scroll, especially when the leader of the team is just as curious as he was at her age? What happens when the Naruto crew's kids get thrown back in time?


Far past the darkening sky, beyond the slowly graying clouds and out of reach from the raging claps of thunderous roars, four sets of tired feet pressed forward. The leaves blew around the ominous path the team had chosen while the harsh winds pushed their worn bodies to and fro. The team themselves, though, showed no hesitation as they pressed on towards the storm, their sullen and melancholy faces hidden behind red and white animal masks.

The first member was called Scarecrow, his mask hiding a stoic almost frozen face behind a smiling mask of a normal corn dweller. His posture was straight and narrow underneath the many layers of protective garb that the team wore. He walked with a sense of caution, carrying nothing on his back like his fellow team mates. He walked at the front of the group, his heightened hearing and sight being the team's only knowledge of possible attacks.

Behind him walked Sparrow, her gloved hand continuously kneading at a lump of clay as her eyes scanned the perimeter. Sparrow's movements were jittery with a small off beat step, a sign of her hyperactive personality as well as a childhood accident leaving the girl with fake appendages and joints from the knees down. She walked between her mates. Having no skills in hand to hand combat, and only in explosives and scroll manipulation, Sparrow was left to carry most of the team's baggage, actually as well as figuratively.

Behind the jittery girl walked yet another girl, Scarecrow being the only male member, who not only wore one mask but two. Under the painted mask, the silver haired girl, referred to as Dolphin, bore a black face mask, hiding her face from the nose down. This mask being worn to conceal the scar-like birthmark silently screaming her parentage. As she walked, Dolphin reflexively flexed her fingers, ready to strike if needed. Her posture was slouched and messy yet regal that in her own way resembled her only male teammate, putting many similarities between the two.

Lastly, bringing up the tail end of the group was the Captain. Fox, as her mask would suggest, walked with a sense of prideful humility, if any such thing existed. Her own abilities involving the senses leaving her to bring up the rear, to "watch her friends backs". The light pep in her step pushed through even while her tired limbs protested, suggesting that outside of her role as Captain, she was a very happy, energetic adolescent, and that she was. It was her birthright.

"Maybe we should stop, un?"

Sparrow mused as she pushed the gray medium harder against her clay covered glove. Her pale blue eyes were locked on the slowly darkening sky, peering out through her mask's eye holes. The clouds rolled in heavy masses, appearing to be ready to cast themselves open and let the rain pour towards the Earth.

With a quick click of her tongue and shake of her head, Fox disagreed.

"It's just a miles walk back to Konaha. I'd much rather be sleeping in my own bed tonight than a damp cave floor."

Sparrow hung her head, the clay in her hand turning to mush as she gave it a frustrated squeeze.

"Right boss," came a reply and the team fell into another batch of silence.

As the minutes drug on, the sounds of thunder grew louder until finally the clouds parted and rain spilled down in a heavy shower. Fox grimaced as she watched her friends and teammates turning towards her. She knew she had really pushed their limits this time, starting with the mission the Hokage had chosen for the new ANBU team as well as Fox ordering them to keep moving at the end of the day while a storm raged around them.

Fox bowed her head, pushing through the glares and ahead of Scarecrow. Dolphin shook the rain from her mask, glowering at the blonde ahead of her.

"Only a miles way." She mocked under her breath.

In a normal circumstance, Dolphin would never find herself mocking an appointed officer, even if said officer was a year younger and fresh out of the ANBU Academy, but these were not normal circumstances. Unknown to her fellow comrades, Dolphin did not fare well in the fight against the rogue ninjas they were sent to apprehend. Upon retrieving the scroll, Dolphin also received a heated kunai to the stomach, a wound that was desperately crying for attention.

With each mile, the silver haired girl felt red tears slip from the cut. The cold rain soaked through the black vest she wore, soothing the aching wound but it wasn't enough. Just as the gates to Konaha came into view, Dolphin felt the world around her start to spin.

"Guys I think I'm going…"

Then in the most clichéd way, Dolphin felt her world go black.

Within the next hour, the team found themselves as many things, from sitting in their civilian clothing to waiting for news about their fellow team member.

"Why didn't she say anything!" exclaimed Narami. Narami had long forgone her role as Fox, for her role as big-hearted prankster and random brooder. Her short blonde and black hair hung messily in her face as she let her head fall. She pulled at the two extra-long black stands and sighed. Finally deciding on which emotion to portray, the girl's normally happy pale face turned to stone. Her mixed match eyes (one bright blue and one coal black) froze and a glare that could only be inherited shot ice at anyone who passed by.

"Narami, stop blaming yourself!" snapped Kashi (a name he believed was just laziness on his parents' part). Placing his own head in his hands, the former Scarecrow fought back tears. He had never dealt with a situation like this before. Normally, he would be the one in the hospital after a hard mission never Ikaru (another name he blamed on his parents laziness). In circumstances such as these, Ikaru was always meticulous, calculating every situation, always avoiding injury. Kashi was reckless, Ikaru was strategic. That is why, as Scarecrow and Dolphin, they work so well together. Plus the fact that they were siblings (only two years apart) helped add to their partnership.

Kashi couldn't bring himself to admit that his almost perfect sister had messed up but what tore him up the most, the one thing that pulled at his heart strings and sawed at him with a butter knife, was not that she hadn't told them but that he, himself, hadn't noticed.

"Then you stop beating yourself up before going and preaching to others, un." The voice came from a human ball in the corner. Sadaara pulled a long piece of clay between her fingers. "You know why she didn't tell you. She's just like your dad, yeah? She doesn't want any one fussing over her. She wants to be independent, and show that she's strong on her own, un."

"That's ridiculous! We're a team! No one should fight nor bleed on their own!" Narami exclaimed, slamming her fist on the waiting room table.

"You're the same way." Sadaara's monotone voice was what shocked both her team mates rather than her statement. She stared at them with a bored, angelic look, never moving from her ball.

"E-excuse me!" Narami stuttered/shouted.

The others had learned that as Sparrow, Sadaara was the one least likely to speak out against anyone but her enemies, yet it was no true shock for her to speak out as Sadaara. It was no secret that if the cold hard truth came from anyone it would be the clay master.

"As Narami, you're all about equality, a lot like the Hokage. But as Fox that all changes. You become self centered, looking to do everything on your own. No one can help you in a fight, yeah? Because we know there would be hell to pay and an Uchiha glare at the end that would send us to an early grave, un."

Narami bowed her head, confirming Sadaara's words to be true. Rolling her eyes, Sadaara placed the worn clay into her pouch before placing a single hand on her Captain's knee.

"Look boss, all I'm saying is that it's not yours nor is it Kashi's fault that Ika didn't say anything, un. If anything, it's the ninja's way. Our problems are our own unless it blatantly affects one's team."

"But it did affect us!" Kashi shouted, finally deciding to involve himself in the conversation.

"But Ika didn't see it that way, un." Sadaara shrugged, leaning back against the wall before curling into a ball again, her dad's cloak shielding her from the cold of the hospital. The team sat and waiting in silence.

The young artist scanned the room with her cobalt eyes, watching other visitors pass by. Just as one couple was exiting by her, a new born baby in their arms, she saw something that never seemed to end. The new mother anxiously held her baby to her breast while the father maneuvered them to his other side, away from Sadaara, all the while glaring holes into the red and blonde haired teen's head.

This was nothing new to Sadaara. It's said that long before the teens were born, Hokage Tsunade (back when she was still in office) had forged a document revealing a blood alliance between Konaha and a few of the Akatsuki members that were ready to give up the life of crime. It wasn't uncommon for those in the alliance to settle down and have children.

Of course those directly opposed to the alliance didn't treat the Akatsuki children kindly. It was common to see older villagers sneering their noses at the kids or to see brawls between them and the villager's own children brought up with prejudice hatred.

But none of the Akatsuki kids were treated nearly as unfairly as Sadaara, for not only was both her parents former Akatsuki but she wasn't exactly from what one would call normal parentage. The "ladies" of Konaha deemed her filthy and disgraceful because she wasn't raised by a woman. The "normal" children were not permitted to play with her.

That's why Sadaara believe she fit in with her team mates so well, for even though their parents were respected members of society (Narami's Appa even being Hokage.), they were still treated like her in one form or another.

Many nights Sadaara lied and wondered for so long, why she fought to protect a village that turned its nose up at her. How was it her fault that her parents preferred the same sex over women? And did she have a decision in them using an ancient jutsu to have children? No?

If anything, Sadaara felt like it was a lot less crude act to use the jutsu than to have intimate relations (she couldn't bring herself to think of her fathers having sex). And honestly, there were many upsides to having Reproduction Jetsu babies.

One, the babies are always carried full term so there was no risk of prematurity or complications with the mother because the baby was nourished and carried on a protected astro-plane. Two, the child is born faster (6 months rather than 9 to 10). The only down fall being that it is very rare to have more than one child using the jutsu for the chakra waves used to carry and create the baby's chromosomes are very difficult to manipulate twice. But other than that, Sadaara saw no reason for the town to scorn her and her three teammates. Plus they were exceptionally strong ninjas due to the direct chakra flows they received from their parents at conception while also adding in their pedigree and parentage.

"You're thinking about it."

Sadaara was pulled from her musing, looking up at the other two ANBU.

"Yeah?" She questioned, her day dreaming leaving a temporary fog in her mind.

"You've got that look. The "I wonder why the village can't treat us like normal teenagers" look." Kashi inquired, smiling sadly at the youngest Team Repo member.

"I suppose." Sadaara sighed, pulling her hair out of its tie and letting it cascade down her back in waves of red and blonde. "I guess my way of thinking is more modern than theirs, un."

Narami let out a chuckle, rubbing her shoulder with one hand before speaking. "You're definitely right on that one." Looking up at the clock, the ANBU captain sighed, a sad look gracing her face. "She's been back there a long time. It's almost been two hours."

Kashi's eyes swept to the clock before following the floor to the emergency room doors. He felt it, but couldn't stop the tear from slipping down his cheek.

THUD

The team jumped as a loud sound entered their ears but instead of the ER doors being thrown open it was the entrance doors. Standing in the door frame, hair pulled from its normal pony tail and face red with worry was….


End file.
